The present invention relates to a beaker type dyeing machine especially useful for the controlled dyeing of fabrics and other materials in a laboratory setting.
Many processes for dyeing fabrics on an industrial scale require that dyes and other chemicals be added periodically or intermittently according to some predetermined pattern or sequence. In addition, the dye bath should be suitably agitated to assure uniform dye application. The uniformity of results obtained from batch to batch often depends on the precision with which the dyes and chemicals are added, both in terms of amounts as well as timing, as well as the level of agitation received.
New dyeing processes are constantly being developed. To facilitate this work, laboratory-scale dyeing machines are available for carrying out test dyeing protocols in a laboratory setting.
In one such laboratory-scale dyeing machine, one or multiple dyeing beakers are mounted on the periphery of a rotating disc. The disc is arranged vertically while the dyeing beakers are arranged such that their longitudinal axes are close to but slightly askew from the horizontal. When the disc is rotated, a gentle agitation or xe2x80x9cwobblexe2x80x9d is set up in each beaker thereby providing a desired degree of agitation to the contents of the beakers.
In another type of laboratory-scale dyeing machine, which is described in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,890, each beaker is mounted for reciprocal pivoting about its longitudinal axis and a drive mechanism is also provided for causing this movement. In addition, dosing hoses are attached to each beaker for supplying the beakers with dyes and other chemicals while the machine is operating. An infrared heater is also provided for heating each beaker to speed the dyeing operation.
Although both of these dyeing machines work well, it is always desirable to provide an improved laboratory-scale dyeing machine which operates even better.
This and other objects are accomplished by the present invention in accordance with which the dyeing beakers of a rotating disc type laboratory scale dyeing machine are provided with dosing hoses for supplying dyes and other chemicals to the beakers while the machine is operating. The dosing hoses are mounted by the rotating disc assembly of the machine so that they travel with their respective beakers as these beakers move during machine operation. A fluid transfer section of the machine is designed to allow dyes and other chemicals to be directly supplied to these dosing hoses from a remote, stationary source.
With this design, dyes and other chemicals can be conveniently supplied to the beakers from a source of supply remote from the machine while the machine is continuously operating. Thus, it is unnecessary to stop machine operation for periodic or intermittent addition of chemicals, as in the case of conventional rotating disc type machines. At the same time, the inventive machine utilizes the rotating disc feature of conventional machines, which not only provides a desirable degree of agitation but also is simpler in construction than other designs.
Thus, the present invention provides a new dyeing machine for automatically dyeing multiple fabric samples in a precise, predetermined manner, the machine comprising multiple dyeing beakers, a rotating support assembly mounting the beakers, a frame mounting the support assembly for moving the beakers about an axis of rotation, and a dye coupling on the frame for receipt of dye from a dye source, wherein at least one beaker is provided with a dosing hose for supplying the beaker with a dye or other chemical during movement of the beaker, a receiving end of the dosing hose being in fluid communication with the dye coupling.